Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. "Best book of the year!" -IndieReader.comThe exciting conclusion to Brainchild, Book-4 of the Brainrush series:The first three books in #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Richard Bard's Brainrush series garnered over 2,000 Amazon 5-Star reviews, setting the stage for the continuing story spanning three continents and two more books. With "Brainchild" (Brainrush 4) called "a high-speed thriller that ignites pages with scenes of action and suspense" by Kirkus Reviews, and "Smoke & Mirrors" (Brainrush 5) named "best book of the year" by IndieReader.com, this mind-gripping adventure is sure to capture the imagination long after the final heart-stopping chapter.A gifted boy forced to grow up too fast... A father who will do anything to protect him... A madman bent on destroying them both.In Amsterdam, a visionary scientist is laying the groundwork for a cybernetic life-extension project that will transfer individual consciousness to a personalized avatar. Halfway around the world, his brilliant grandson is secretly planning to use the same technology to infiltrate the world's most secure networks. But the scientific advances necessary to perfect the brain-to-computer interface are slow in coming, too slow for the aging founder of the Everlast foundationâ??who may die before realizing his dream of immortalityâ??and too slow for his ruthless grandson, who will stop at nothing to attain the recognition that is his birthright.Caught in the middle are Jake Bronson and his seven-year-old son, Alex, whose combined mental gifts might provide the key to leapfrogging the impasse.When Jake's family and closest friends are simultaneously abducted in a globally coordinated kidnapping scheme, Jake is thrust into a frantic race that takes him from the canals of Amsterdam and the cobbled streets of Rome to the back alleys of Hong Kong and the South China jungles, where he must lever every scrap of his failing abilities to rescue his loved ones and crush a madman's plans to bring the world to its knees.An "international thriller with soul." Ideal reading for fans of Michael Crichton, Clive Cussler, James Rollins, Brad Thor, Dan Brown, Matthew Reilly, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, and Vince Flynn.Note: "Smoke & Mirrors" was formerly entitled "Ephemeral"Editorial Reviews"Smoke & Mirrors doesn't hold back on danger, thrills, or page-turning action. Named one of our best books of the year." â??IndieReader.com"The action will get your heart pumping and if you aren't careful, you may be up well after your bedtime. Once you start, you won't want to stop until it's over. Once again, Richard Bard shows he is a master when it comes to penning taut thrillers. â??Self-Publis